---
title: 'Btree_gin'
description: 'Enables GIN indexes to support B-tree indexable data types.'
---

The [btree_gin](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/btree-gin.html) extension in PostgreSQL enables GIN indexes to support B-tree indexable data types. It is useful when you want to use a GIN index for multi-column queries that include standard B-tree searchable data types like `int`, `text`, `timestamp`, and `uuid`.
Your Nile database arrives with `btree_gin` extension already enabled, so there's no need to run `create extension`.

## Creating and Populating a Sample Table

Before creating the index, let's create a sample table and populate it with data:

```sql
CREATE TABLE my_table (
    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    column1 TEXT,
    column2 INT,
    column3 TIMESTAMP
);

INSERT INTO my_table (column1, column2, column3) VALUES
    ('apple', 10, '2024-01-01 10:00:00'),
    ('banana', 20, '2024-02-01 11:30:00'),
    ('grape', 15, '2024-03-01 14:15:00'),
    ('orange', 25, '2024-04-01 09:45:00'),
    ('lemon', 30, '2024-05-01 16:20:00');
```

## Creating a GIN Index with btree_gin

A GIN index with `btree_gin` is useful when performing multi-column searches that include B-tree indexable columns. Here's how to create one:

```sql
CREATE INDEX gin_idx ON my_table
USING gin (column1, column2, column3);
```

<Info>
  Note: `USING gin` specifies that this is a GIN index. The extension allows
  `column1` (text), `column2` (integer), and `column3` (timestamp) to be indexed
  efficiently using GIN.
</Info>

## Querying with GIN Index

Once the GIN index is created, it can be used to optimize queries filtering on indexed columns:

```sql
SELECT * FROM my_table WHERE column1 = 'apple' AND column2 = 10;
```

## Limitations

- GIN indexes are optimized for **fast lookups** but have **slower insert/update performance** compared to B-tree indexes.
- They work best when querying multiple indexed columns together.
- Unlike B-tree indexes, they **do not support range queries efficiently**.

## Removing a GIN Index

If you need to remove a GIN index:

```sql
DROP INDEX gin_idx;
```

## Conclusion

The `btree_gin` extension enhances GIN indexes by allowing them to handle B-tree indexable data types efficiently. It is particularly useful for **multi-column indexing** scenarios where a mix of text, integer, and timestamp fields are queried together.

For more details, refer to the [PostgreSQL documentation](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/btree-gin.html).
